Featured: Rain Brings Out the Norwegian Lancias

Rain Brings Out the Norwegian Lancias

By Christer Lundem
April 22, 2013

I’m in a grumpy mood, the sky is heavy with rain-filled clouds, and the surroundings are colourless except the green grass. It is Sunday. On days like these, I like to stroll around the old part of my hometown in Norway, Fredrikstad. The city has one of Scandinavia’s best-preserved fortifications and within it lies charming shops and cafes. Sometimes there are old scooters and great vintage cars in the street, a perfect place to do nothing. Today it’s different, I’m restless and my clothes are damp from rainfall. Despite this, I stroll on the outskirts up on the city’s walls to get ideas and fresh air. That’s when the day takes a u-turn; I see a glimpse of something that can be nothing but a Lancia Aurelia coupe. Vittorio Janos masterpiece. I go further to bring the beauty in my eyesight. It turns out that this rainy Saturday in June will be anything other than expected. I have stumbled across the Nordic Lancia Meeting 2012 and suddenly feel energized and happy. Lancias do make rain shine.

Lancia owners may be looked upon as their cars: Passionate owners made of stern stuff. They drive their machines no matter what. When most enthusiasts would pamper their cars, these pain-loving creatures attack life head on. This is people who do not care about others’ opinions, trends or plain common sense. The vehicles are used in all weather, and a noisy gearbox or lack of lights is firmly put on the charm account. (If the starter does not work, you can just push start it, right?) Unobtainable parts are looked upon as a challenge, and people who have not understood the excellence of Lancia are looked upon as ignorant. If the vehicle fails, it is of course the owner’s fault for ignoring his maintenance routines.

No automaker has been so significant to build complex and sophisticated solutions on which there is absolutely no way to make money. However, lack of function is easily outshone by the Lancia’s brilliant sense of design. These hopeless cars make you lust for them. Lancia always created interesting cars and sometimes even timeless beauties. Maybe the essence of what makes Lancia more than just a car is that it makes a way to live.

For me, vintage Lancias recreate the time before bean counters got into the driving seats of our lives. Look at the pictures. It is simply impossible not to be seduced.

Let me see, what excuse can I come up with to get myself a Lancia?

Tags
Join the Conversation
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
6 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ian Miles
Ian Miles
7 years ago

A Danish Integrale. As rare as hens teeth I would reckon.

Rip Curl
Rip Curl
11 years ago

The Delta Integrale is just such a cool hot hatch. Too bad in North America we do not get to be part of the fun.

Art Harvey
Art Harvey
11 years ago

Lancia’s are all the more attractive for their scarcity on American shores. As a Norwegian-American who studied in Italy, I am fortunate to have spent time “Lancia-spotting” in Rome (I got particularly attached to the 80’s Gamma) and also browsing the design boutiques and fortifications of Gamlebyen Fredrikstad. This article brings it all home, Tusen Takk!!

Niklaus Gingro
Niklaus Gingro
11 years ago

As an American, Lancia is the brand I wish we had the most. There are occasional Lancias for sale here (2 on eBay right now) but we never got the Delta Integrale which is probably one of my favorite of the Group B era cars after the Quattro.

WhatDaFunk
WhatDaFunk
11 years ago
Reply to  Niklaus Gingro

I’ve always lusted after the Delta Integrale, it’s a shame hot hatches never have really seemed to catch on here in the US (outside of the GTI).

Petrolicious Newsletter